The British journal of surgery
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Image-guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB) of the tumour bed, performed after neoadjuvant therapy, is increasingly being used to assess residual cancer and to potentially identify to identify pathological complete response (pCR). In this study, the accuracy of preoperative VABB specimens was assessed and compared with surgical specimens in patients with triple-negative or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive invasive ductal breast cancer after neoadjuvant therapy. As a secondary endpoint, the performance of contrast-enhanced MRI of the breast and PET-CT for response prediction was assessed. ⋯ VABB in patients with an iCR might be a promising method to select patients for de-escalation of surgical treatment in triple-negative or HER2-positive breast cancer. The present results support such an approach and should inform the design of future trials on de-escalation of surgery.
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Established condition-specific patient-reported outcome measures for varicose veins are limited to the measurement of health status and function. A treatment satisfaction measure is needed to understand patient satisfaction with different treatment options. The aim of this study was to design a Venous Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (VenousTSQ) that would be ready for large-scale data collection and psychometric evaluation. ⋯ The VenousTSQ represents a condition-specific psychological outcome measure for varicose veins, enabling patient satisfaction or dissatisfaction with such treatments to be measured. Large-scale data collection is under way to establish optimal scoring, quantitative validity, and reliability of the VenousTSQ.
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Competency frameworks outline the perceived knowledge, skills, attitudes, and other attributes required for professional practice. These frameworks have gained in popularity, in part for their ability to inform health professions education, assessment, professional mobility, and other activities. Previous research has highlighted inadequate reporting related to their development which may then jeopardize their defensibility and utility. ⋯ The COmpeteNcy FramEwoRk Development in Health Professions (CONFERD-HP) reporting guideline permits a greater understanding of relevant terminology, core concepts, and key items to report for competency framework development in the health professions.
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The outcomes of bariatric surgery (BS) in patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remain rarely described. We aimed to evaluate the 90-day morbidity and mortality rates, and the risk of IBD complications 2 years after BS. ⋯ In a highly selected cohort of patients with well-controlled IBD, BS did not result in added mortality or morbidity. A point of vigilance must be underlined regarding BS in patients with CD.